⇨ THE LUNAR SOLSTICE

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Winter Breaks: Day 6 - Day 25
Where: THE MOON
What: The carnival journeys to one of its moons to celebrate the Lunar Solstice. More information here.
Warnings: Winter fun.

MOON WALKING↴ The journey to the moon only takes a blink of an eye, but it leaves the carnival far away beneath you. The second moon can be seen on the peripheral, massive compared to its usual view. At least when the holidays start out, there will be no notable wildlife on the moon, though this is something you can talk to the Ringmaster about if you think it needs a change. It sounds like this is the first time she's used it in quite a while - it probably needs some dusting off! Claim your cabins, and proceed to... well, do whatever you want! There is no rush and little obligation, besides to enjoy yourself. For real, this time. She promises there will be no vampires. Or, at least, none that don't already work for the carnival. ► CABINS: Living arrangements are character choice for this event, and there are a variety of cabins of various sizes, mostly built to house 2-6 people, though you can fit more in if you squish. They are all made of wood and of a rustic design - no fancy modern furniture, here! Each building is housed with a fireplace and the needed amenities. You can pick up materials to cook with the private kitchens if you like. Theoretically, you could spend the whole holiday sequestered away, watching the snow fall. Some of them also have outdoor hot tubs available! ► ACTIVITIES: Activities are mostly going to be character driven, though there will be some large group games like bingo and maybe a poker tournament happening at some point in one of the festival halls. Otherwise, there is a lot to offer: skiing, snowboarding, hiking, ice sculpting, snowball fights - it goes on! If you'd like to run a winter activity, just let the mods know, and we will get the word out there for you. ► FEASTING: Every day isn't a full-out feast because that would get a bit unhealthy, but there will be a number of specific feast events over the holidays where everyone is encouraged to let out their inner hedonist and stuff themselves. There will be one big feast per week, with smaller but also delicious meals offered in between. The feast dates will be B12, B18, and B24. There's also plenty of alcohol available for anyone who wants it. ► SHOPPING: As mentioned in the planning post, there is a massive market being run by the World Walker Caravan! The Ringmaster has given everyone 1250 credits to spend on items, but there is a caveat - must spend at least 500 of those credits on gifts for other people. And it better be a good one, if you only buy one! (She will ask that you do not buy her presents, however. She appreciates the sentiment, but it seems sort of silly buying her things with her own money! If you'd like to gift her, please have it be something more personal or handmade, but you are not obligated to get her anything at all.) ► TREATMENTS: The beginning of the holidays will also be about the time that the emergency Medical Team will have finalized their treatments for the Prince's poisoning. Watch out for further information on that - and make sure to get treated if you are suffering from petrification or poison induced illness! The holidays will be a lot more fun that way.

Comments

[pipers_son]

"Good." A long content sigh rushes out of him, adding a little more warmth to the cold snowy air. As if the steam wafting out from the water wasn't enough. "Good, because, ya were attractive, a bit, but that was shit, ya shouldn't be like that. Like shit." Did he let that slip out? It's fine. Joker figures it is, anyway. It's not as if he's been subtle that Ginko is more attractive than he thinks he is.

That's not really important, right now. Instead, slumped against the hot tub with his arm propped out awkwardly, he starts turning his wrist in circles in a slow awkward gesture. Hey. Hey.

C'mere.

[dontpokethat]

That... still sounds all kinds of incorrect, but this isn't the time to argue about Joker's bad taste. "Yeah, I don't much like being 'like shit'," he replies dryly.

Then he blinks, taking a moment to decipher that gesture before standing up with a sigh and walking over to kneel down next to the tub.

Does he even want to know what Joker considers so important.

[pipers_son]

Having Ginko come over from his world weary watch over a handful of dumbasses making a questionable life choice has Joker grin, lopsided and triumphant. Ha. Ha! He did it. Fondly, his wooden fingertips tap along the side of Ginko's jaw before curling up as softly as possible into that white hair of his. Joker's fingers are strange, hard wood that's twisted and warped in the strange natural way rather than anything handled by man, and they're still soft in a way that allows them to be gentle and flexible sometimes.

"Yer good," he mutters, the words slurring into each other ever so slightly. "Always- ya work hard. Yer always workin' hard. And bein' good ta people. S'good. Yer good. Ya deserve good stuff ta happen, and be sleepin'."

[dontpokethat]

Look, he can still watch over the handful of dumbasses from here, while listening to... whatever weird thing Joker has decided he needs to inform him of.

He is not, however, particularly expecting to be touched, though he maybe should have seen that coming. It's not even the odd texture of Joker's fingers that strikes him so much as the contact itself, and his heart makes a sudden, brief jump into his throat before settling back down where it's supposed to be.

"Uh-- thanks?" At a loss, he kind of... pats at the back of Joker's hand. "I, uh... I should be able to sleep more after this. So there's that."

Boy he is now very very aware of all the other people in the vicinity who are definitely seeing this.

[pipers_son]

In contrast, Joker is completely dismissive of all the people who might be watching. One of them is Tyki, who's perfectly fine, and another is Foster, who doesn't exist as far as he's concerned, and then there's Hinawa. Hinawa would understand, right? That Ginko is handsome, and deserves good things.

"Good," he mutters, decisively. "Ya deserve it. Ya were workin' so hard..." Regret knits his brow together, and his smile become almost self deprecating.

"M'sorry."

[dontpokethat]

See, Foster is the one Ginko is most concerned about. Though the fact that Hinawa is neither drunk nor on fake post-sex pills might make her presence a little more of an issue.

However, the shift in Joker's words and expression immediately distracts Ginko from worrying about other people watching. His ears flop down and back, and his hand stills on Joker's. "For what? You don't have anything to apologize for."

[pipers_son]

"Yeah I do." It leaves him in a sigh. At the same time, his expression starts to sink. The novelty of the cure had been entertaining, for a while, and seeing Ginko well rested had been nice, too, but... As always, in the end, it's hard to ignore everything weighing down on him.

"Made ya upset. Hurt ya. S'not a good thing, Ginko. Don't deserve that."

[dontpokethat]

Oh no. Ginko makes a mental note that Joker, when drunk, inevitably ends up miserable, no matter how cheerful he may start out.

"Hey-- that's not your fault, Joker. None of it was."

[pipers_son]

"Still," he mutters. Alcohol only makes stubbornness worse, as it turns out. "Doesn't matter. Still hurt ya." Still, if there's one thing that can be considered a positive out of all of this... Grimacing, Joker pulls his hand away and slides it up the bridges of his nose, covering his eyes.

Shit.

"...Don't wanna be here..." Eight minutes or something, right? That's how long he had to stay in the water? His leg feels a little more decent, but...

[dontpokethat]

It's pretty evident that arguing with him on that won't really get anywhere. So Ginko just gives a quiet hum of disagreement, and his tail thumps against the floor of the deck.

...Shit. "I think you need to stay in a few minutes longer, Joker. Do you think you can deal with that? ...Or do you feel sick?"

If he feels sick, it would probably be best to get him out now, given that he's drunk in a goddamn hot tub.

[pipers_son]

Does he feel sick?

Joker raises his eyes up to blink at Ginko a few times, as if his eyelids struggle to stay upright. Then, with his arm still crossed along the rim of the tub, he presses his face down against it and just... quietly starts to laugh. It's not a humorous one, despite the quantity.

[dontpokethat]

That is not even slightly an answer. Ginko lets out a slow breath and leans down to get a look at him, then presses the back of one hand against Joker's forehead.

"Let me rephrase that. Do you feel dizzy, or more nauseous than you did before?"

[pipers_son]

The good news is that, while Joker's skin is warm, that seems to have more to do with the general warmth of the hot tub in general than anything else. Everything in its immediate vicinity, let alone directly in it, is going to be warm.

Joker, in the meanwhile, allows Ginko to nudge him about as much as he likes, head lolling so that his forehead can be touched. "Nah," he mutters, eyes staying barely open as sharp pink slits. "S'fine. Ain't that."

[dontpokethat]

"...Okay." Ginko pulls back, but not before giving Joker's cheek a light pat. "Try'n stay awake, alright? I need you to tell me if you do start feeling worse."

He sits down properly now, still close by Joker and the tub, and keeps his voice quiet. "Why'd you want to go, then?"

[pipers_son]

It's nice to listen to Ginko when his voice is all quiet like that, not in the least because it makes it at least a little harder for other people to hear them. Joker feels like he could use the privacy right about now, even with his cheek smooshed against his arm.

"People." His expression twists a little. Not in distaste, but discomfort. "Thought it wouldn't be as bad. Still bad, 'tho. Bugger me."

[dontpokethat]

Ginko would point out that that doesn't make going off on his own a better idea, but knowing Joker... if he's going to be miserable one way or another, he'd probably rather be miserable on his own.

Unfortunately, they both know from experience that's a bad idea - besides which, Joker still has to wait for the cure to finish working on his leg.

"You've just got to hold it together for a few more minutes. You can go home right away after that, alright?"

[pipers_son]

"Yeah, yeah." A certain sort of sullenness weighs the words down, dulls something in his eyes, but some of his face is still obscured by his own arm. Probably for the better. At least this way, he doesn't have to work so much on keeping his face happy.

Which wouldn't work anyway, considering how drunk he feels, but okay.

"I told ya I'm sorry, right?"

[dontpokethat]

Ginko sets his hands on the deck behind him and leans back a bit to put weight on his arms, making sure once again that he can keep track of everyone in the tub. This close, he notes that there's definitely some spilled spa water soaking into his pants and gloves, which will definitely be a problem in a few minutes. Oh well.

That actually gets a smile. "You did. You didn't need to, but you did say it."

[pipers_son]

"Yeah, I do." It certainly can't be comfortable, the way he rests his face against his arm as he stretches it out to Ginko, but this is what he's committed to. At least it reveals more of his face, brows drawn together tightly and his eyes brighter than usual- perhaps with that quietly burning sincerity that Ginko by now knows is a lot less common in Joker's expressions than he usually lets people see. "'Cuz yer important. And good. And ya stuck around."

Stuck around when a lot of people wouldn't, even at the small amount of things that Joker confessed, and Joker would never have blamed anyone even if it hurt. But Ginko's stayed.

Right after that, however, his face screws up in distaste. "Ah.... Fuck. Ginko. Fuck. S'just remembered somethin'."

[dontpokethat]

"I... I appreciate that you think that." More so than he really knows how to express. "But you still haven't done anything you need to apologize to me for."

He frowns, and his ears lift slightly. "...What? If it's about Psi, I doubt he's gonna mind me making sure you don't drown."

[pipers_son]

"No. No. I mean, s'bad too..." His eyes squint shut, and there is probably a real worry that he might slip into unconsciousness before he forces them open again.

"Ginko. M'face."

You know. That little problem up there.

[dontpokethat]

...Oh.

Oh.

"Uh..." Ginko considers that for a few moments. He's pretty sure Joker can't hold his breath for eight minutes, and having him just... bob up and down would be kind of stupid. "We could pour water over it, I guess, but that would... take a while."

Hmm.

"...Is there something around here you could breathe through?"

[pipers_son]

"My mouth," is the completely unhelpful answer. There's nothing around here and they both know it.

A moment later sees the arrival of an answer that is.... debatably better. "Should just hold my hair..."

[dontpokethat]

Ginko is considering just running off to get a straw, honestly - but he's not sure he can leave these guys alone for that long. Dammit.

Joker's first answer is, of course, completely useless. The second... takes him a moment to process.

"...your hair?"

[pipers_son]

It's only going to get worse before it gets better. At least he's being a productive drunk instead of one crying, blood or not. His hand makes some sort of vague gesture.

"Just keep me in place, cheek in the water. S'fine."